Meetings are a test to measure minimal proficiency. That means that if you pass it you have the basic knowledge to be a sleep technologist. This is important for any laboratory that wants to hire you. The problem is, the questions are not based on what you do in the lab, but rather on the rules set by the best practices of the American Association for Sleep Medicine (AAASM) and the American Association of Sleep Technologists (AAST). That means you will need to study the correct information to be successful in approving the tables.

The first thing to do is go to BRPT.org and download the test plan. This will tell you exactly what is in the test. It will also let you know how many questions there are on each topic. Use this as a study guide. As you study a specific topic, check it off the list. You will see that some areas have more questions than other areas. This gives you an idea of ​​how much time to spend on each topic.

The scoring manual and scoring rules were designed by the AASM using research and consensus to create the rules. You must memorize them, including the page with all the filter settings. These are the rules and the only correct answer; the way your laboratory conducts the study may not match these criteria. Staging and scoring studies are a big part of the test. If your work does not have a score, ask your scoring technician to review some of the scores you have made. You cannot take the exam and pass it if you do not get a score. Even if you are scoring 200 epochs per night, you should take the time because it will help you pass the test.

Titration is another high-fault area on the boards. The reason is that the AASM criteria generally do not match the laboratory criteria for titration. It is essential that you read the AASM guidelines which are available free of charge. The pressure change is always 1 cm. The minimum waiting time between pressure changes is 5 minutes. It is necessary to memorize the number of apneas, hypopneas, RERA and snoring.

I know that taking exams is difficult or that you feel that you have been an excellent technician for years and you know what you are doing; however, the test is based on the perfect patient in the perfect environment and not what you do in the lab. If you keep this in mind when you are studying, you will be a Registered Technologist in no time.